The direct Transport for Wales train from Cardiff Central is the way to go. It takes about two hours and three-quarters and makes 21 stops, so it is a long ride, but you board at Cardiff Central and stay put until Tenby.
Frequency is the thing to plan around. On the weekday timetable we checked there were seven direct departures from Cardiff Central: 06:44, 08:54, 10:54, 12:54, 14:51, 16:50 and 18:51. That is roughly one every two hours, so arriving at Cardiff Central just after a Tenby train has gone means a long wait for the next. The 06:44 is in Tenby by about half past nine, and the 18:51, the latest direct train we found, reaches it at about 21:40. The middle of the day is the easiest to use: the 10:54 gets to Tenby at about 13:40 and the 12:54 at about 15:40. Decide which of the seven you are aiming for before setting out for Cardiff Central.
One extra option sits in the middle of the afternoon. A train to Carmarthen with a bus on to Tenby left Cardiff at 15:38 and took almost exactly as long as the direct train, getting in more than an hour earlier than the 16:50 would. It means swapping to a bus part-way, but it is useful if the 14:51 is too early for you.
By road it is 92 miles via the M4, and the drive takes about 1h50, so a car is close to an hour quicker than the train. The direct service makes up for that by needing no change at all between Cardiff Central and Tenby.
Tenby station is about ten minutes’ walk, a little over 650 metres, from Tudor Square.
Journey times and changes below come from the rail and bus timetables for Tuesday 1 December 2026. Weekend and holiday timetables differ, so check the day you travel.
From Cardiff Central on the weekday we checked: 06:44, 08:54, 10:54, 12:54, 14:51, 16:50 and 18:51.
By road it is about 92 miles from Cardiff to Tenby, mostly via the M4 — roughly 1h 51m with clear roads. Car parks in Tenby are listed on the Getting Here page.